The famous Italian manufacturer MV Agusta marked its 75th anniversary on Sunday and is to host official celebrations at its factory in Varese on 20/21 June.
A company statement proclaimed: “In its 75-year history the one habit that MV Agusta has never lost is the habit of winning, on every front: from the racetracks, with its unrivalled record of 37 world-championship victories, to showrooms and fairs around the world, where its bikes are considered true icons of style and motorcycle art.”
Timur Sardarov, CEO of MV Agusta, continued: “Being at the head of MV Agusta at this historic moment in time is exciting and challenging. I consider it a great privilege, and also a great responsibility but, looking back at MV Agusta’s legacy, I know we are standing on the shoulders of a giant, and this gives me great pride and confidence in breaking new ground every day, launching innovative technology, new incredible models, and expanding into markets we have never entered before.”
MV was founded on 19 January, 1945, with the establishment of Meccanica Verghera Srl in Cascina Costa, near today’s Malpensa international airport. According to a company press release, the Agusta family, pioneers of the aviation industry and unable to continue manufacturing aeroplanes in the aftermath of the Second World War, turned to motorcycles to “express their passion for speed, adrenaline and precision engineering”.
The Agustas knew how to build racing motorcycles, and Count Domenico Agusta had a knack for hiring the best riders, most of whom became legends of the sport: Franco Bertoni, MV’s first rider, followed by Arcisio Artesiani, Carlo Ubbiali the “flying Chinaman”, Leslie Graham, Cecil Sandford, Fortunato Libanori, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Gianfranco Bonera, Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read.
The partnership with Agostini was the most celebrated in the history of motorcycling – “Ago” won 13 world championships, 18 Italian titles and 10 Isle of Man TTs.
Count Domenico died in 1971, and after Agostini’s last victory at the Nürburgring in 1976, the destiny of MV Agusta seemed to have come to an end, until the Castiglioni family gave it a new lease of life. In 1992, Claudio Castiglioni’s Cagiva acquired the MV Agusta brand and moved production to its facility on the shores of Lake Varese, in Schiranna, where MV Agusta motorcycles are still produced today.
Under the guidance of Claudio Castiglioni MV built the four-cylinder, 750 cc F4 which is still considered ‘the best looking bike ever’.
After his death in 2011 he was succeeded by his son, Giovanni, who continued in the family tradition.
In 2017, new capital was brought in by ComSar Invest, a Luxembourg company belonging to a family of entrepreneurs. Two years later the Sardarov family acquired 100% of the company’s capital and Timur Sardarov, MV Agusta’s present CEO (pictured), was ready to take on a leading role.
On the occasion of the company’s 75th anniversary, Sardarov says he is concentrating on reorganizing MV to stabilise it financially and has brought in “a number of highly respected managers with a proven track record in the industry”.